N18GH

On September 11, 1995, approximately 1830 hours Pacific daylight time, a homebuilt Pietenpol Air Camper, N18GH, sustained substantial damage during a forced landing following a power loss while operating in the vicinity of the Cline Falls private airstrip, Redmond, Oregon. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan had been filed. The flight, which was personal, was to have been operated under 14CFR91.

A witness reported to local law enforcement personnel that two individuals were in the aircraft at the time of the accident and that the plane "had been going back and forth on the runway and that they had taken off and were circling around to the north when the plane lost power and took a 30% dive into the field north of the runway" (refer to attached Deschutes County Sheriff's Report of Deputy Jon Clark). Subsequent to the accident, personnel at the site, including Mr. Jerry Parks, advised law enforcement officials that they did not know who the pilot was or his whereabouts. Residents at the Cline Falls airstrip reported that the owner was Mr. Jerry Parks and that "Mr. Brochetti no longer owned the airplane and had sold it to Jerry Parks and maybe some other subject." Mr. Brochetti stated in a telephone conversation that he had, in fact, sold his one- third interest in the aircraft to the two remaining owners, Messrs. Parks and Custard.

Mr. Parks was contacted via certified mail and asked to complete NTSB Form 6120.1/2. He responded with a letter stating that he was not the pilot at the time of the accident and did not return the completed form (refer to attached letter).

An attempt was made to contact and solicit a statement from witnesses Maragret Wood and James A. Lowe via certified mail. Neither individual responded.

FAA inspector Steven Smith, Hillsboro Flight Standards District Office, reportedly examined the aircraft following the accident and reported gas in the aircraft's fuel tank and no evidence of any mechanical malfunction with the aircraft's automotive engine. He also reported that the vertical stabilizer was bent, there was a wrinkle in the top of one wing, that the left main landing gear had separated, all four wing struts were bent, and there were cracks in both wing spars.

Deputy Clark stated in his report that during his investigation "one of the subjects from the Hangar that Parks owns" reportedly "made the comment that they didn't want the Fed's to be involved with this."

It could not be determined who the pilot of the aircraft was at the time of the accident nor the identity of the passenger and the aircraft was moved from the accident site immediately following the crash and before notification of FAA/NTSB personnel. The investigating NTSB office was notified of the accident four days later after the accident.